SpeedLA Dating had the pleasure of hosting Bravo for their very special, 'Rate A Date' series. Viewers chose which couple they felt made the perfect match and the winning couple enjoyed a romantic dinner for two. See if love was in the air or they just got plain cheeky!

Finding the time and the right person to date can be a tug-of-war with your schedule and your heartstrings. Enter the highly-touted SpeedLA Dating group and let the magic of matchmaking unfold with their “Indulge Me” package. Reservations at exclusive restaurants, priority invitations to parties and events, two make-overs, a custom stylist session and SpeedLA’s coveted “This, that, and the other” Concierge Service find you on six intimate and customized Date-Nights with the city’s most sophisticated singles.

Once you set up your SpeedLA account, you will receive an email confirmation with details and questions to help them better find your “Date Mate”. The more information you give, the better they can match: you can indulge details via email, phone or an in-person chat.

While you’re waiting for your first match (you’ll have the opportunity to meet and connect with six singles total, each Date-Night addressed with the same careful procedures), prepare to look and feel your best. Highlight your features and find the looks that suit you with a makeover and stylist session with SpeedLA’s experts. Within ten days, you’ll have your first date scheduled based on mutual aspirations, expectations and likes.

SpeedLA can suggest the right scene for your evening out, or you can utilize their “This, that, and the other” Concierge and request a reservation at some of the city’s hottest restaurants -- think Katsuya, Geisha House, STK -- and clubs (if they know you’re with SpeedLA, you’ll skip all velvet ropes and lines). Alternatively, feel free to request a booking at one of your favorite venues if that will make you feel more comfortable.

You’ll also be privy to priority invitations for SpeedLA’s special events including Holiday, Valentine’s and televised productions (SpeedLA was featured on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” and NBC/Oxygen’s “Bad Girls Club”, among others).

If at any point in the process you have a question -- about an outfit, dinner conversation, hair style, whether or not to bring flowers, who’s going to pay -- go ahead and give SpeedLA a call and they’ll be happy to help you weigh all your options.

First and foremost, SpeedLA focuses on your safety, happiness and comfort. Using their refined and successful approach to dating, they have one simple goal: to help you find an ideal and compatible partner. Always using the utmost discretion, they intend to lead you straight to the man or woman of your dreams: the rest is up to you.

SpeedLA is known for its matchmaking skills. Using their refined and successful approach to dating, they have one simple goal: to help you find an ideal and compatible partner. Always using the utmost discretion, they intend to lead you straight to the man or woman of your dreams: the rest is up to you.

With the Indulge Me package, you'll get six pre-arranged date nights at exclusive restaurants and venues in San Francisco. For each date night, you will meet a different partner chosen for you based on your mutual aspirations, expectations, and likes. The ladies will also get two make-over consultations with one of their lovely certified cosmetologists. For the guys, you will get the fabulous opportunity to spend the afternoon shopping with a professional stylist gaining advice and tips at the stores of your choice. The Indulge Me package also includes priority invitations to select special events including holiday, Valentine's and televised productions!

Dating can be a tedious task, so why not speed up the process with a fun and flirty session from SpeedNY dating? Forget what you think you know about speed dating and sign up for a gathering of singles at some of New York City's best venues!

SpeedNY Dating is a concept in speed dating that differs from traditional speed dating. Bringing simplicity and sophistication to thousands of their daters, they create a perfect night out. Allow them to arrange the evening! Traditional speed dating trappings are not used; there are no name tags or whistles, no loud speakers or over-the-top party trimmings.

They are changing the speed dating scene and attracting a more sophisticated crowd than ever before. Their approach to matchmaking offers a fresh alternative to contracts and commitments. With English hosts, complimentary gourmet appetizers, complimentary makeovers for the ladies by a certified makeup artist and flirty icebreakers, you can't go wrong with SpeedNY Dating!

"Hey party people! This is Young with another exciting event blog post! So not too long ago, I detached myself from a way-too-looooong relationship of 5 years and entered a wonderous world of single-dom. And if you’re anything like me, it’s been very liberating and quite enjoyable to say the least. Have been a man-hater for the past 5 months, I now realized I actually missed having some testosterone in my life. I tried the whole bar/club night scene for a while and realized that there weren’t much substance there. Sure my friends had friends, but no one I’d concider in a million years… and to be honest, it was hard being picked up at the local art exhibits or the grocery store.

So the next best thing came knocking at my door one day and I jumped at the opportunity… Speed Dating!

You hear about these things in movies (40 Year Old Virgin), through stories, but never did I think I would want to try it. I did it for the pure joke of it, while I still could. It sounded like fun! I called up another single girlfriend of mine and we went, hand in hand, completely nervous and out of our minds. After a shot and a few cocktails, we loosened up and learned that it wasn’t half as bad (Oh, how I love alcohol!) We expected to see complete losers… No way! There were about 17 dudes, a whole variety of them, from successful business engineers, to computer tech geeks (whom were more fun to talk to), and there was that one guy that didn’t have a job, ahem. To my surprise, many of them weren’t that bad looking! Unfortunately (or maybe it was a good thing personally), I didn’t make any love-connections, but I’m sure plenty of the other girls found a match or two. So here’s how it goes…

This classy event (requires a pre-charge of only $38) didn’t require stupid name tags, annoying whistles, or a loud host yelling “Times UP!” This was chic British style. Our host had a very british accent and was super charming. She made us feel completely comfortable and at ease, although at times it was a bit hard to understand her. This company circulates thru different hot spots in LA and other cities. This time it was hosted at the beautiful Geisha House. All the ladies were seated at their own tables and we were all given score cards to mark one another from “I love him!” to “Not In a Million Years.” While the women stay seated, the men rotates from table to table, how nice is that? We each get 7 min to get to know one another and at the end the cards are collected and you are done. The entire event flies by so quick and is so fast paced, that you don’t realize that 2 hours has gone by. After the hosts review your cards and if you and the other score each the same, he is requested to contact you via email within 24-48 hours. Simple.

To sum things up… I had a great experience. There’s a first time for everything, and I completely recommend this for any single individual looking to hook up. It’s very legit and very possible! Sorry no interesting photos. I did plan on posting this event on the blog, but decided not to snap a photo with every guy, thinking it might freak him out and give him the wrong impression of me.

Hope you guys understand. Either way, hope you enjoyed it! "

"Hunting for an upscale, classy speed dating event in the Los Angeles area? You won’t find a better speed dating company than SpeedLA! This speed dating company brings you an unforgettable evening of new faces, beautiful venues, and fun. And of course, the perks make the evening even more enjoyable: ladies get a complimentary makeover, appetizers are served, and of course there are nightly drink specials. With SpeedLA, everything is done in classy UK style, even down to the friendly British hosts. Does this sound like the right speed dating experience for you, but you don’t live in or near LA? SpeedLA also has branches in Seattle (SpeedSeattle) and New York (SpeedNY). Why not begin your speed dating adventure today by registering for an event at SpeedLA.com?"

We pull up to STK and valet my car. This swanky restaurant / bar has been featured on Entourage, so automatically you know it will be populated with store mannequins dressed in the latest fashions, staring blankly at each other with plastic smiles and hollow souls. We saddle up at the bar and settle in. Soon it’s time for us to enter the adjoining lounge to begin our speed-dating. The host is a lovely young British woman who hands us our “score-cards.” The score-card has a rating system numbered one through five: one being “I’d fancy a go!” and five being “Not in a million years.” Did I mention that SpeedLA Dating claims to be the “U.K. version?” No whistles or alarm clocks, just a British girl who gingerly taps you on the shoulder when it is time for us “blokes” to move on to the next “bird.” How “charming.”

I am sequestered to a table with some other guys, as a result of six girls not showing up to the event. It’s a sausage-fest, alright, and to bide my time while the rest of the lounge begins dating, I order another Jack & Ginger. I walk up to the host and ask her when I can expect to jump in the game.

“In a minute. Do you have a score-card yet?”

“Uh, yeah, you just gave me one.”

She looks at me, confused, and I realize not only doesn’t she remember me from moments ago, but that over her shoulder she is standing talking to another person. It takes me a moment to realize I am not already drunk and seeing double, but that she and her identical twin are hosting the event: “Woah, for a second there I thought I was seeing double,” I shake my drink in my hand, doing a lame Dean Martin impression. She looks at me with vacant eyes, bored with the fact that I exist.

Eventually, I am directed to Girl Number One of approximately fifteen. To describe each girl in detail would be a futile exercise for me and my friend Jack Daniels. But I can say that a majority of these girls are either Asian or Hispanic, with a few Jewish and Caucasians thrown in for good measure. The age-range was specified by the service as being 24-36 (prime coupling years) and they all appear respectable and educated, if not entirely head-turning. I am surprised, however, to discover that a majority of these girls are native Angelinos. Never before in my eleven years in this city have I encountered so many genuine female locals as I have now, and I try to figure out some sort of pattern. In addition, nearly half of these girls are either lawyers or in the process of becoming lawyers—what does it all mean?

I reach the end of the line and mark all dates as number fives, aka, “not in a million years”… except for Girl Ten. Call it a “lone impulse of spontaneity,” but if I had to choose any single girl from this bunch, it would have to be Sophie. Why the hell not? Let’s stay in the spirit of things. I hand my card in to one of the twins, efficiently weave my way to the bar and order another drink. As there are more men than women, I have time to kill for Sophie to finish her rounds.

The next evening I find myself neck-deep in this very article. I’m feeling inspired and confident…until now. I have no ending. No conclusive epilogue to wrap things up and make sense of being single in L.A. That is, until I receive an e-mail from an “Anoush Stevenson,” the owner of SpeedLA Dating. Her e-mail is as follows:

Hi Marco,

I hope you had fun at STK last night and that Jade & Nikita took good care of you. I must say I found your Scorecard to be very sweet, as I know you brought Sophie along as your friend. She didn’t seem to be enthused about anyone at the event either, however I do not have a match for you. I am happy to help in anyway I can if you feel uncomfortable letting her know or asking her out on a date. If she is like me or most women, then she is probably completely oblivious to your affections. I am always available for advice. Let me know.

Best, Anoush

Needless to say this was an unexpected, and amusing, turn of events considering I was not expecting any e-mails from the service. How this woman could read so much into a score-card is beyond me. Anoush’s caring seems to go above and beyond the typical business owner’s, even if the business happens to be love. Despite the possibility of making things awkward between my colleague and myself, I feel inclined—as a dutiful journalist—to include this development as a humble summation of the event. The irony that the owner of the dating service e-mailed me personally to offer her support in pursuing the girl I walked in with, is not lost on me. Irony truly makes the world go round.

As the traffic roars around us, as we find ourselves divided and isolated in this giant neon mecca called home, I am convinced that the people of Los Angeles might not be so doomed, after all. We can choose to abandon these concrete islands with a little whiskey and a lot of faith. We can choose to reach out over the widening fault-lines and connect with each other.

How fast you want to go, is entirely up to you.

Like cupid with his bow and arrow, the owner of a two-year-old speed-dating company hopes to hit a bull’s-eye with a British approach to introducing singles in the Glendale area. Anoush Lauren, owner of Beverly Hills-based SpeedLA Dating, introduced her unique first-date experience to Glendale on Tuesday night at Katsuya in the Americana at Brand. Lauren started the business in London, where she was born and raised.

“When I moved here two years ago, I hired all English girls to help me,” she said. “I wanted to bring the English, fun version of speed dating here. I wanted to make it more like a chic party or get-together.”

What makes her quick singles event different from the others, she said, is there are no bells or whistles abruptly signaling people to move to the next prospective mate. The hostesses go around and tap them on the shoulder to casually coax them to move along.

“We’re not taking it so seriously,” Lauren said.

This more laid-back version is very popular in England, she said. SpeedLADating locations are always at upscale restaurants, and the aim is to blend in participants with the regular patrons, not segregate them, she said.

“We believe in treating singles more like regular people instead of castoffs,” she said. “We try not to make it such a glaringly obvious singles thing.”

Tuesday’s event was the first speed-dating experience for Stacey Harutunian of West Hollywood. She came with a friend, which made it easier, but she admitted that she thought about bailing out a couple of times. Then she tried to look at it positively.

“Whatever — it will just be a good time,” she said. “It’s fun to meet new people, and the guys who are here are here to meet people too.”

Rafael Cunanan, of Burbank, came to the event after it was recommended by a friend.

“I’m always up for new things,” he said. “This is my first time. I’m excited.”

The event offers couples a few minutes to talk and get an impression of who they might want to spend more time with, Cunanan said.

William Roberts of Granada Hills attended an event by the same speed-dating business a couple of weeks ago.

“I’m here because there was no match at the first one, plus it’s fun,” he said.

Jacki Hardman, of Rancho Cucamonga, has done online dating and wanted to try the face-to-face approach, she said.

“People have a whole new persona online,” she said. “Meeting in person, you don’t get a lot of the built-up expectations. It’s harder to fake that in person than online.”

Thirty-six people attended the event. To help break the ice, Lauren said, sample questions were on cards on the tables. A few examples: “If you were president, what would you do first, and what power would you most want to abuse?”; “What is the best way to end a bad first or blind date?” and “What’s your idea of the perfect marriage proposal?”

The cost is $36, which includes a mini makeover for the ladies before the event, she said. When participants make their reservations on Speedladating.com women can choose to have a makeover.

“It’s a nice little fun perk for the women, and it’s been really popular,” Lauren said.

While several of the couples who have met at her events are still dating, none have married, she said.

“Some of them come together to other speed-dating events,” she said. “Others have networked through it.”

The most popular range age group that participates is 21 to 35. Following Tuesday’s introduction to the Glendale area, Lauren hopes to make the Jewel City a regular stop for the event, as well as Burbank, Pasadena, Hollywood and Marina del Rey. Before Tuesday, the quick-date events were only in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas.

I promise you speed dating isn’t creepy. What started as a dare has led to a slight personal fanaticism in the realm of pre-fab matchmaking.

I’m not a serial dater, I don’t online date, and I rarely (if ever) go to bars to pick up a guy. Still, I found myself nervously perusing the LA speed dating institutions (SpeedLADating, fast life, cupid.com, pre-dating.com, dateanddash…) to find a service that would let me hide amongst their droves of perky singles and figure out how creepy speed dating actually is.

All the young, tanned blondes with bouffants (guys love bouffants), clutching each other with one hand and cupping their drink in another in photos splashed across the sites made this kind of thing seem tolerable, almost fun. Still, I’m not blond. I don’t hit the clubs or the glitzy nightlife scene, like, ever. Was speed dating too cool for me? Will anyone actually LIKE me? Stop me if I sound like Carrie Bradshaw, but I was stewing; I was nervous and excited for the opportunity, but still felt like a total dork, a total desperate, single dork. Was I alone? Was I wrong?

After scouring the Internet I found one company that promised to accommodate my inquisitiveness: SpeedLA (or, speedLAdating, depending on the pen, the personal tattoos that they give out, or the website). They offered an intimate speed-dating environment with a genteel, British, twist.

I thought: I like British People. Let’s do this.

I made a plan to go to one of their many events (and they ARE many in number). SpeedLA has specific events depending on your age, affiliation with the entertainment industry and sexual preference.

I was so, so nervous.

When I got there, I was ushered into the back room of the trendy Bungalow Club. Anoush Stevenson, my gracious hostess (and the woman who had to put up with all of my cancelling and rescheduling due to pure chicken-shittedness) greeted me, and walked me to the bar. My dress was really short, and I sort of felt like I was wearing a leotard. People started drifting into the back room, nervously eyeing one another. Would there be connections tonight? A couple of men (seasoned speed-daters, I imagined) started up conversations with more of the nervous-looking girls (yes, I fell into that group). The girls seemed decidedly more attractive than the guys (though this seems to be a trend with every speed dating service, one which I still find odd). I thought, was this against the rules, pre-talking? What can I possibly talk about with all these different men? And this one, getting heady, is already trying to get out my good material (e.g. where I’m from and what I do).

Then, the game began. It works like this at Speed LA: You get seven minutes with each guy, and then you write on a card if you liked him. If they like you, Anoush sends their email to you and vice versa.

My initial nervousness soon turned into confidence. There’s something about guys listening to you, flirting with you (even if it leads to nothing) and getting a single serving of your quirky awesomeness that really makes a girl feel like hot shit. And even if the guys hated me and my coolness seemed all in my mind, I rationalized; I’d never really know it until the day later, when you get the match email. At the end of the event, I put down every guy I could and scuttled out of there.

The next day I got, according to Anoush’s proud email, 4 matches! 4! They liked me, they really liked me!

I mean, I’m not hideous, but I’m not a supermodel. I’m a normal, single girl with a bit of social anxiety. Soon, she asked me to go again, and I did. I also tried some other companies, though I preferred Anoush and SpeedLA (call it first timer’s loyalty, the cute accents, I don’t know). The result of all of them was the same: I didn’t really meet anyone whom I could call boyfriend material (and I don’t think, inversely, anyone was smitten by me) but it was fun as hell. And fast. And made me feel hot. And that’s incredibly important, it seems, to find one's self attractive, in a town that makes one feel so decidedly unattractive, even inadequate.

Speed Dating more and more made me feel hotter, and though the conversations get repetitious, you start gleaning some great personal histories from the people you meet. Maybe I’ll keep doing it and will find someone I can date. Who knows? I promise, it can only help.

Story by Rebecca Mendhelson Leib.

Speed Dating...for Couples!

Bummed because you are in a relationship and never had the opportunity to try speed dating? Here is your chance. Speed LA Dating offers the chance for outgoing couples to meet OTHER couples on Sat. June 7th, 7:30pm at The Warehouse - an amazing location in the Marina.

It is $49 for a ticket; HOWEVER, the ticket is good for each couple - meaning it will be $24.50 per person, which is a lot more reasonable compared to similar "dating" events.

Click here to buy tickets, which include hors d'ouveres and complimentary makeovers for the women.

Posted by J.D. at 1:45 AM

"On the other hand it's not only the exclusive Guy's outing or Girl's outing, for which Los Angeles is famous for, it also extends its hands of co-operation to young lovers or couples. SpeedLA Dating of Beverly Hills will create that absolute romantic ambience which you never get anywhere else. Though not a direct part of nightlife, but the Sunset Romance Flight will give you a complete Arial view of Los Angeles sparkling under its jazzy lights to grant you a tender romantic moment"

-Los Angeles 265 Nightlife

A Bear, a Drink and 16 Men By Sophie Harben

Dating in Los Angeles is hard. Nothing about a coffee shop on every block, the 405 freeway at rush hour or the smog at any hour, exudes romance. So what is a girl to do? I sought an answer through a friend of mine who recommended I try Speed Dating by a new company based in Beverly Hills, SpeedLA Dating. Speed Dating they say – UK Style. Unsure exactly what UK style was, I approached with caution. The night arrived and I was greeted at the door by several British hosts. All personable and all with good teeth – the LA smile has made its mark on the Brits. After being checked in, I was given the option of a make-over by a professional make-up artist who was just off to the side primping another woman. More than a make-over, I needed a drink. I bypassed the make-up artist and the woman, waved and headed for the bar. Martini in hand with SpeedLA nibbles abound, I was given all the tools I would need for the night; a SpeedLA Scorecard, logo pen and instructions on how to find Marylebone, SpeedLA’s resident bear.

Prior to intermission, Marylebone would be hidden and should I find the bear in question, I would win $50. With gas prices at $4 per gallon, I made it my new mission in life. I was briefed that I would meet 16 men; we would chat for 6 minutes and then rotate to the next dater. One minute longer than my last relationship. The following 2 hours was a whirlwind of dating. With some men I dated I found the 6 minutes not nearly long enough while others allowed me the necessary time to plot out my course in finding the bear. The night ended. I selected my Date-Mates, the top 5 men I would most like to date again and handed the scorecard to my nearest host. With choices on the score card ranging from “Never in a million years” to “Fancy a go”, filling out the scorecard was half the fun.

Before leaving, I spoke with the owner, Anoush Stevenson, an authentic Brit herself. I couldn’t help but ask about her first name. I don’t remember meeting many Anoush’s on my last trip to London. She answered she was half British, half Armenian, and grew up in England. My response, “Which half is the better half?” to which she coyly responded “Depends on which side of the family is asking”. Anoush is both witty and professional and seems to have created something unique. So exactly what is Speed Dating – UK Style? Anoush says “It is a lovely bit of fun, in a sophisticated setting.” Did I meet the man of my dreams? Not quite. Did I have a ‘lovely bit of fun’ I think I might have – UK style. For anyone who is keeping track, I never did find the bear. The woman I had waved at earlier, receiving the make-over, found the bear, won the $50 and left with a date-mate! I really have to stop drinking.